Device for removing quicksand, silt, or the like from wells



Jan. 12, 1954 J. M. GREEN 2,655,767

DEVICE FOR REMOVING QUICKSAND, SILT, on THE} LIKE FROM WELLS Filed March 10, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR /ame5 Marc e 77;

BY qpw ATTORNEY$ Jan. 12, 1954 GREEN 2,665,767

DEVICE FOR REMOVING QUICKSAND, SILT, OR THE LIKE FROM WELLS Filed March 10, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v a 6 i i l; 1*.

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a 52 i E 5 i Z2 i l L l INVENTOR L James MGree n /9 Q z/ I 2g BY Z /a ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 12, 1954 DEVICE FOR REMOVING QUICKSAND, SILT, OR THE LIKE FROM WELLS James M. Green, Hayti, S. Dak.

Application March 10, 1952, Serial No. 275,826

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for removing quicksand, silt or the like from wells.

While it is known that devices are available for removing sand or the like from wells, these prior devices which are known as slush buckets are so constructed that when sand or other material is removed from the well a sufficient amount of water is also removed with the sand so that the existing lateral pressure in the well causes the sand at the sides of the Well to flow into the latter and again fill up the well. It has been found that where a device is used which will remove only the sand and leave the Water in the well there Will not be any shifting of the lateral sand.

Another object of this invention is to provide a grab bucket which will remain constant in size so that it can be used in a minimum size well and will not enlarge the size of the well bottom, as is the case with prior used grab buckets of the clam-shell or orange-peel type.

A further object of this invention is to provide a grab bucket which can be used for both bailing or digging a well when the ground is formed of sand or soft soil.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the arrangement, combina tion and details of construction disclosed in the drawings and specifications, and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a detailed side elevation of a bucket for removing quick sand, silt, or the like from wells constructed according to an embodiment of this invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4--4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 66 of Figure 3.

Figure '7 is a sectional view taken on the line 1--1 of Figure 3.

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Figure 3.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary side elevation showing the bottom releasing means embodied in Figures 1 to 8, inclusive.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary side elevation partly in section of a modified form of this invention.

Figure 11 is a sectional view taken on the line H--Il of Figure 10.

Referring to the drawings, and first to Figures 1 to 9, inclusive, the numeral 15 designates generally a cylindrical bucket or receptacle which is secured to an axially disposed stem It by means of a pair of downwardly divergent arms l1.. The receptacle or bucket I5 is open at the upper and lower ends thereof and a closure or bottom member 18 is hingedly secured, as at i3, to the bucket or receptacle I5. The bottom member it has secured thereto a bellcrank 23 having one arm thereof, as indicated at 2!, projecting inwardly and at an acute angle relative to the inner face of the bottom or closure member 13, as shown in Figure 3. A vertically disposed bar or link 22 is pivotally secured to the inner end of the arm 20 and projects upwardly through the bucket or receptacle IS.

A latching member or bar 23 is secured to the upper end of the bar 22 and is adapted when in latched position, as shown in Figure 9, to bear against the lower end of the stem [6. A cam or L-shaped latch releasing member generally designated as 24 is pivotally secured to an extension 25 carried by the latch member 23 and is formed with an arm 26 adapted to bear against the lower end of the stem R5. The latch releasing member 24 is formed with a loop 21, and a grooved pulley 23 is rotatably disposed inwardly from the loop 21. A cable or a cord 29 is secured at one end to an eye 30 carried by the stem l6 above the bucket or receptacle [5, and the cable 29 engages about a pulley or grooved wheel 3|, which is rotatably mounted in a slot 32 formed in the bar 22. The cable 29 extends downwardly from the eye 30 about the pulley 3| and is then extended upwardly through the loop or eye 21 and is secured to the lower end of a weighted latch releasing member A second cable 34 is secured to the upper end of the latch releasing member 33 and extends upwardly to a point above the well and provides a means whereby the structure hereinbefore described may be dropped down into the well and subsequently removed from the well.

A pivoted latch member 35 is carried by a U-shaped clevis 35, which is secured to the stem is at a point above the bucket 15, being secured to the stem IE by means of a bolt 31. The latch member 35 is formed with a groove 38 within which the cable or cord 34 is adapted to engage, and the latch member 35 is adapted, when in latching position, to bear against the bolt 31. The upper end. of the weight member 33 1s adapted to bear against the latch member 35 and hold this latch member in latching position, with the latter holding the weight member 33 against upward movement. The latch member 35 is gravitatingly movable to a released position when the cable 34 is relaxed so that weight member 33 may drop downwardly, striking release member 24 and rocking release member 24 downwardly at its outer end so that arm member 26 will draw latch member 23 laterally to a released position, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 3. When latch member 23 is released from the lower end of stem It by the weight 33, latch member 35 will gravitatingly drop downwardly to a released position so that upward pull on cable 34 may effect upward movement of weight member 33 beyond latch member 35, and at this time, cable 29 will be drawn upwardly and bottom or closure member It will be swung upwardly to a receptacle closing position. 7

The upper end of the receptacle I is provided with a plurality of inwardly bent guide members 33 which are adapted to prevent the upper edge of the receptacle I?) from digging into the sides of the well as the receptacle is pulled upwardly.

Referring now to Figures 16 and 11, there is disclosed a slightly modified form of this invention embodying a receptacle lilo, similar to receptacle it, which is secured to the lower end of a stem 6w by means of a pair or downwardly divergent arms lid. The bottom or closure for the receptacle 50, is swung upwardly to a closed position by means of a bar 22a, and the bar 2200 has secured to the upper end thereof a latch member 23a. Latch member 23a is normally engageable with the lower end of the stem lea, similar to the latch member 23, and latch member 23a is moved laterally to a released position b means of an L-shaped latch releasing member do.

The latch releasing member 46 is inverted with respect to the latch release member 26 being pivoted, as at 42, to th upper end of the shank 25a. The releasing member All is pivoted at the angle formed by the Sides i2 and A3, and preferably the releasing member All includes a pair of connected together L-shaped members which have their other sides 33 formed with a connecting loop or eye 44, as shown in Figure 11.

' A cable 29a is anchored or secured at one end, as'at 33a, to the stem 6a, passing through the bar 22a after the manner of cable 29 shown in Figure 3. The cable 23a has fixed thereto a weighted ball 55 which in the latching position of latch member 23a is adapted to engage below or closely adjacent the lower edge of latch release member lll, as shown in Figure 10. Cable 29c extends upwardly between the spaced arms of releasing latch member M3 and has a second weighted ball E8 secured thereto. An upper latch member 35a, similar to latch member 35, is secured by means of a clevis 36a to the stem 16a; and in the latched position of member 35a, ball 46 engages therebeneath with cable 29a extending upwardly through the groove in latch member 35a, as indicated at 34a, to a point above the wall.

The ball 55 is of a diameter to permit ball 55 to pass through the eye 44 after weight member 45 has been dropped downwardly a short distance by releasing or cable 34a so that ball 46 will release latch 35a. Cable 35a and cable 29a maybe pulled upwardly with'the ball 45 initially rocking release member Gil upwardly to thereby release latch 23a, after which ball 45' may pass through eye 44 in order that the bottom or closure similar to closur I8 may be rocked upwardly to a closed position. There is sufiicient slack in cable 29a to efiect release of latch 23a.

Stem I6, as shown in Figure 2, is provided, adjacent the upper end thereof, with a pivoted guide eye 4? secured to the upper portion of stem it by means of a block or collar 48. The stem l6 and the stem 16a are of sufiicient length so that the bucket l5 or the bucket |5a will be maintained in an upright position at all times. The stem i5 and the stem I60: also provide additional weight for the bucket so that the latter will be gravitatingly forced downwardly into the sand or silt during the filling operation of the bucket.

In the use and operation of this device, the closure l8 will be initially disposed in the vertical open position, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, being locked in the open position by means of the latching member 23. At this time, weight 33 will be latched against upward movement by the latch member 35. The device is then dropped downwardly into the well and closure member l8 forms a bit or blade adapted to dig into the sand or silt ahead of the bucket IS. The weight of the device is sufiicient to provide for substantial submersion of the bucket 55 in the sand or silt so that when closure I8 is drawn upwardly to a closed position, there will not be any water retained in the bucket or receptacle. With a device as hereinbefore described, the Quicksand, silt, or other loose material may be removed from the well bottom without removal of any substantial amount of water so that the lateral pressure existing at the bottom of the Well will not cause the sand to cave into the well, as is the case where a bucket is used which will remove both water and sand.

The structure shown in Figures 10 and 11 will operate the same as that shown in Figures 1 to 9 except that latch release 46 operates reversely from latch release 24.

The structurehereinbefore described may also be used for either digging or deepening a well with the closure i8 forming a bit or blade adapted to dig into the loose material.

I do not mean to confine myself to the exact details of construction herein disclosed, but claim all variations falling within the purview of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A device for removing sand, silt or the like from wells, comprising a bucket formed of a cylindrical member, a closure hingedly carried by the lower end of said member, a stem fixed to and extending upwardly from said member, cooperative latchmeans carried by said stem and said closure for holding the closure in vertical open position, a flexible suspension member secured at one end to said stem and extending upwardly therefrom and movably connected with said latch means, and a weight carried by said flexible member relaxing of said flexible member permitting said weight to gravitate downwardly and move said first-named latch means to released position whereby upward pull of said flexible member will pull said closure to closed position.

2. A device for removing sand, silt or the like from wells, comprising a bucket formed of a cylindrical member, a closure hingedly carried by' the lower end of said member, a stem fixed to and extending upwardly from said member, cooperative latch means carried by said stem and said closure for holding the closure in vertical open position, a flexible suspension member secured at one end to said stem and extending upwardly therefrom and movably connected with said latch means, a weight carried by said flexibl member, and gravity release latch means carried by said stem above said first-named latch means and engageable by said weight for holding said weight against upward movement when said flexible member is substantially taut, relaxing of said flexible member permitting said weight to gravitate downwardly and move said first-named latch means to released position whereby upward pull of said flexible member will pull said closure to closed position.

3. A device for removing sand, silt or the like from wells, comprising a bucket formed of a cylindrical member, inwardly bent guide fingers carried by the upper end of said member for guiding said member as said member moves upwardly in the well opening, a closure hingedly carried by the lower end of said member, a stem fixed to and extending upwardly from said member, cooperative latch means carried by said stem and said closure for holding said closure in vertical open position, a flexibl suspension member secured at one end to said stem and extending upwardly therefrom and movably connected with said latch means, and a weight carried by said flexible member adapted upon relaxing of said flexible member to efiect release of said latch means relaxing of said flexibl member permitting said weight to gravitate downwardly and move said first-named latch means to released position whereby upward pull of said flexible member will pull said closure to closed position.

i. A device for removing sand, silt or the like from wells comprising a cylindrical bucket open at its upper and lower ends, a closure hingedly carried by the lower end of said member, a stem fixed to and extending upwardly from said member, an obliquely disposed lever arm fixed to said closure, a vertically disposed bar pivotally secured at its lower end to said lever arm, a latch 6 member fixed to the upper end of said bar and engageable with the stem for holding said closure in open position, a substantially L-shaped latch release member pivotally carried by said latch member and having one side engaging against said stem with the other side thereof projecting laterally of said stem and formed with a loop, a pulley carried by said bar between the ends thereof, a flexible suspension member fixed at one end to said stem and extending downwardly under said pulley, said flexible member extending upwardly from said pulley through said loop of said latch release member, a weight fixed to said flexible member above said latch release member and normally spaced therefrom when said flexible member is taut and said closure is latched in open position, a gravity released latch member pivotally carried by said stem in a position to engage said weight and hold the weight against upward movement, said weight upon relaxing of said flexible member striking said other side of said first-named release member to thereby move said first-named latch member to released position, said gravity released latch member dropping to released position when said weight moves downwardly whereby subsequent upward pull on said flexible member will swing said closure to closed position and said weight will be disposed above said gravity released latch member.

JAMES M. GREEN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,461,365 Morris July 10, 1923 1,474,707 Crowl Nov. 20, 1923 1,787,001 Hunt et a1 Dec. 30, 1930 1,848, 66 Gault Mar. 8, 1932 2,436,737 White et al Feb. 24, 1948 2,499,508 Karhu Mar. 7, 1950 

